Children's art you can store!

From the first time children experience the goo of paint on their fingers until they complete a masterpiece in their senior year of high school, parents' homes are filled with the creative results of their childrens' hands. The first images are usually proudly displayed on the refrigerator, but as the images get transferred out, they have nowhere to go.

One of the best ways I've found to capture these moments of creative enlightenment is to photograph the art with a digital camera. It takes a few minutes of time, but very little room in your basement. If you collect the images and occasionally photograph them, you end up with a series of images that show your child's interests and ability, as well as an ongoing account of what is familiar to them. Once the art work is digital, you can incorporate it into any number of things, including an annual family photobook, a catalog of your child's art or even a photo cube or puzzle for ongoing enjoyment.

The bottom line is that once it is digital, you can save it, store it and find new ways to be creative!

Digitizing Family Recipes

One of my favorite recipe "books" is made up of recipes I have collected from family members through the years. Some of them are fairly new, and some of them have been handed down a few times already. My very favorite recipes in the collection are those that are on the original recipe cards, in my grandmother and great grandmother's handwriting. These are sacred to me because it gives me the sense that I'm cooking along with them. The only unfortunate part is that I only have a couple of these because it is a large family and the recipe cards are divided up among all the family members.

One way to give everyone the "originals" is to have them scanned, as you would an old photograph. This preserves the handwriting, the smudge marks and special notes in vivid detail. The images can then be combined into a photo book that can be duplicated as many times as you need, without losing quality.

Imagine giving your mother or aunt a recipe book filled with the original family recipes and illustrated with images of the family members cooking or sitting down to special dinners. It is a delectable, and timeless gift.